What is a voice disorder?

​

 A voice disorder occurs when a child has difficulty with the pitch, volume or

quality of their voice which distracts a listener from what is being said. Their voice

quality is noticeably different from those of their peers.

 

Voice disorders in children can be caused by the following:

​

• Talking or shouting loudly

​

• Common childhood infections

​

• Emotional and psychological reasons 

​

• Medical conditions

​

What are the common features of a voice disorder?​

​

• Harsh, hoarse, croaky, strained or rough voice quality.

​

• High or low pitch of voice.

​

• Loud or whispery voice.

​

• Hyper-nasal (i.e. too much air coming through the nose) or hypo-nasal voice quality (i.e. like they have a blocked nose).

​

• Loss of voice during the production of specific sounds.

​

Why should I seek therapy for my child with a voice disorder?

​

• Medical intervention that is necessitated

​

• Addressing the most challenging and problematic areas presented by the presence of a voice disorder.

​

 What type of therapy is recommended for voice disorder?

 

​Diagnosis alone is NOT the solution. It simply opens the door to getting the help that is needed by arming all involved with the relevant information. 

 

If your child has difficulties with the vocal quality, pitch or volume, it is recommended they consult a Speech Language Pathologist to receive an evaluation to see if they require therapeutic intervention. 

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​